Hunza Nagar Badge

 

The Hunza & Nagar Campaign 1891.

 

Further relevant historical context can be found at the foot of this entry.

 

 

The Hunza Nagar Badge was a British Empire campaign 'medal' presented for service during Hunza and Nagar Campaign of 1891. The badge was instituted in 1891 and was awarded by the Maharajah of Jammu and Kashmir to his own troops who served with Colonel Algernon George Arnold Durand in the campaign against the border states of Hunza and Nagar, providing that they had already qualified for the 'Hunza' clasp with the India General Service Medal.

 

 

The badge is rectangle in shape, measuring 55mm x 27mm and is cast in bronze, The obverse depicts three soldiers advancing on the crenellated hill fort of Nilt against a backdrop of mountains. In the bottom right hand corner of the plaque there is the inscription; 'HUNZA NAGAR 1891'.

 

The reverse is fitted with 'lugs' to allow for a horizontal split pin fastening which allow it to be attached to clothing - see ribbon details below - and is blank with the exception of a makers mark that reads; 'WOODSTOCK ST'.

 

 

None were authorised for this medal. It was intended to be worn at the neck, although some recipients fitted it with a suspender to wear with a green and red ribbon.

 

 

None were authorised for this medal.

 

Further relevant historical context can be found at the foot of this entry.

 

 

 

* It should be noted that the values quoted above reflect the average price that a medal dealer may expect to sell this medal for - please see the ‘things you should know’ web page for more details about valuing medals.

 

 

This section contains information on:-

 

- The Hunza-Nagar Campaign 1891.

 

The Hunza-Nagar Campaign 1891 - The Hunza-Nagar Campaign was fought in 1891 by troops of the British Raj against the princely states of Hunza and Nagar in the Gilgit Agency (now part of the Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan). It is known in Pakistan as the ‘Anglo-Brusho War’.

 

When Mortimer Durand, Secretary for State of India was appointed administrator of the Gilgit Agency, he opened up the region by building roads, telegraph, and mail systems while maintaining a dialogue with the Mir of Gilgit. He intended to improve the road from Kashmir through Hunza and Nagar and up to the frontier with Russia. The Mirs of Nagar and Hunza saw this as a threat to their natural advantage of remoteness. In 1890, Durant reinforced Chalt Fort that was near the border due to the rumor that Nagar and Hunza fighters were about to attack it, and continued redeveloping the road up to the fort. In May 1891, Nagar and Hunza sent a warning to Durant not to continue work on the road to the fort and to vacate the fort, which was on the Gilgit side of the border, else they would regard it as an act of war. Durant reinforced the fort and accelerated the road construction to it, causing Nagar and Hunza to see this as an escalation and so they stopped mail from the British Resident in Chinese Turkmenistan through their territory.

 

British India regarded this as a breach of their 1889 agreement with Hunza, and after an ultimatum was issued and ignored they initiated the Anglo-Brusho Campaign of 1891. Hunza and Nagar came under a British protectorate in 1893. Colonel Algernon George Arnold Durand, commanded a force of approximately a thousand rifles and two guns. The British gained control of Nagar during a battle at Nilt Nagar (Jangir-e-Laye) in 1891. The fort at Nilt was stormed, and after a fortnight's delay the cliffs beyond it were also carried by assault. Hunza and Nagar were occupied, the chief of Nagar was reinstated on making his submission, and the half-brother of the raja of Hunza was installed as chief in the place of his brother.

 

The British awarded three Victoria Crosses during this campaign.

 

This information was taken from ‘Wikipedia’. The original article and details of the authors can be found here. It is reproduced on this web-site under the ‘creative commons’ licence which can be found here.